Are Quakers Christian?

Undoubtedly, there are many, perhaps (though it is by no means certain) even a majority of Quakers in Britain who would self-define as Christians – according to their own understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Because of our history, Quakerism is generally assumed by many outsiders to be a denomination of the wider Christian Church, like Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, or the Church of England.

It isn’t really that simple, though. For the last 1700 years or so, most Christian Churches have held to more or less strict criteria as to what is required in order to be considered a Christian. Almost all of them require assent to:

the Nicene Creed which refers to such things as the circumstances of Jesus’s conception, birth, execution, and resurrection,

the doctrine of Trinitarianism which says God is comprised of the Father as creator, the Son as Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and

the acceptance of the biblical Jesus as one’s Lord and Personal Saviour.

Individually, many denominations also require assent to extra beliefs, either to be considered a Christian at all or just to be part of their own Church, such as:

belief in the Apostolic Succession, whereby all members of the church hierarchy must be able to trace their lineage by the laying on of hands right back to the apostle Peter,

baptism, be it a splash of water as an infant or total immersion as a believing adult,

the taking of communion in the form of bread and wine, and

the belief in the Bible as the infallible and inerrant Word of God.

By these criteria, it has to be accepted that most other Churches and many individual Christians might not consider The Religious Society of Friends in Britain or some individual British Quakers to be Christians, due to our lack of assent to those same criteria. Technically, the Religious Society of Friends is considered to be a Protestant church by virtue of it not being part of the Roman Catholic church, but in fact it could said that Quakerism in Britain has always been just as much a ‘protest’ at the theology and practice of most Protestant churches as at the Catholic church.

However, Quakers don’t rightly care for the criteria of others, considering that creeds and statements of faith are divisive and exclusive, turning people away from God rather than bringing them towards God. We also particularly don’t care for creeds because of our sense that God is much too big to be reduced to a few short sentences or snappy slogans. It is however interesting to note that despite this, most other Churches are very keen to keep us involved in ecumenical bodies and initiatives such as Churches Together in Britain and Ireland or the World Council of Churches, feeling we do have essential challenges to offer them, and include special ‘Quaker clauses’ in their constitutions in order for us to be able to participate without subscribing to anything credal.

A number of Quakers are starting to use the term ‘post-Christian’, meaning they are rooted in Christianity (not least as a result of our heritage and common western culture) but open to new light, feeling that the old language of Christianity has some metaphorical value but does not necessarily express the Truth as they see it, and wish to be free to continue to find other language which does. Another popular description individual Quakers use is that of being ‘a humble learner in the School of Christ’. A number of other Quakers have actively found inspiration in the writings and practices of non-Christian faiths, most notably Judaism and Buddhism, and use for themselves the language of dual membership, self-defining as Jewish Quaker, or Buddhist Quaker. And there are indeed a number of British Quakers, be it through bad experiences in the past or simply the path of their own spiritual journey, who will have no truck with Christianity whatsoever, finding its language and concepts completely outside their own faith.

7 Responses to Are Quakers Christian?

Christian, I am a Friend, and I know of no dietary restrictions as a religious doctrine within any group of Quakers. However, as Quakerism emphasizes modesty, moderation, and care for the Earth; many Quakers choose to be vegetarian or vegan, grow their own garden and/or directly support local farmers, and/or support Fair Trade suppliers. I would not be surprised to learn of some Friends intentional living communities where one or more of these purchasing powers is directed by the community.

I am a Hundu from India and my job takes me from place to place. I have interest in religion and spirituality. At present I am in Chicago (USA). Can you recommed an institution or a person here who may help me understand quakerism ?

The genius of the Society of Friends is “continuing revelation”. George Fox only knew Christianity and only within the context of The Church of England. It’s right to evolve over time. To practice continuing revelation only with Christianity would be myopic. If we truly seek to follow the truth, we must be willing to follow it wherever it is found…not only within one religious of philosophical context.

I like the Friends meetings. My mother was a Quaker. I went to meeting when small.
The problem mother had when old was one hour of sitting silently was too long for her.
And when I was small this was a difficult endurance test. Why One hour. Is this from the time when the disciples fell asleep, and were admonished by Christ for not being able to stay awake for one hour? If so, ditch it. 30 minutes PLEASE!
Also, I have been to Quaker funerals and many newcomers don’t realize they can stand and say something about the deceased. Perhaps a leaflet should be handed out to attenders so they understand what happens. I am a Buddhist Quaker ‘Attender’ UK

Bearing in mind the semi-detached relationship which Quakers have with mainstream Christian doctrines, is it not inconsistent (at best) for them to be members of Churches Together in Britain & Ireland – which actively excludes Unitarians for holding an almost identical position?

Round-up

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